Infectious Lexis
by Emuri
Summary: Expressive and articulate terms beautifully engraved in the coarse sheets of a lone notebook. She unearths the clandestine enigma of a man she is scarcely aware of. Ichihime AU.


Well, this is really just some random little plot bunny that was bouncing in my head for a bit. I was thinking of turning this into a story of some sort, but I doubt that that is going to happen. I actually had a dream last night and it inspired to start a new story, so hopefully, you guys will be reading that in January. ;)

Yeah, well, if God has it, then I will possibly make this drabble into a story, but I don't know haha. Well, it's just a little something to give you guys. I don't really like it all that much, but I did enjoy writing it. And I also really enjoy the title. It's kind of funny in a way if you just keep on saying it. xD It's an AU fic, by the way!

And for the record, I don't believe I will be continuing Melody of the Distilled Rose. I'm just not quite focused on that right now and I don't really like the story that much anyway. We'll see.

Enjoy! (:

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, just this drabble.**

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**Infectious Lexis**

_Cuvintele_

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Puffing up her cheeks and blowing an extensively long breath, Orihime rested her chin on her arms as she sat, tiredly scanning the café around her. Too many costumers had come in that day doubling any amount of work she was used to performing.

She had been working at this small, cozy café for a few months and found it to be a pretty satisfying occupation considering her circumstances. She lived by herself in a small apartment and was able to support herself while some of her relatives paid for her education for the university she was currently attending.

She worked in the afternoons at the café after morning classes at her school four days a week and finished up her shifts at around nine at night. It usually was not an extremely busy café, but it was often visited and occupied by ordinary citizens longing for a decent cup of coffee or sweet treat. Usually the writers and/or college students would occupy the space typing away at their laptops. It was a very cool, calm place. Orihime only wished she could receive a cool, calm break after walking and serving costumers for six hours straight.

"Holding up okay?" a voice came from behind her.

Orihime lifted her head from her arms and directed her gray eyes to her best friend. "I'm fine, just extremely exhausted. It was too busy today, but thank you for asking," she beamed.

Her black haired friend sat in the chair across from her. "Yeah, I have to agree. Tons of people came in today. I felt like throwing in my apron and leaving."

"Tatsuki, you can't just leave the costumers like that though!"

Tatsuki furrowed her brows. "You're right, but in the end, there are a whole bunch of people working. It's not as if anyone would have noticed me leaving… and besides, that wasn't meant to be taken literally Hime."

"Oh, heh heh," she laughed self-consciously.

Tatsuki smirked. "Well, I actually am heading out now. It's getting dark and my shift ended ten minutes ago. Did yours end yet?"

Orihime sighed. "No, mine doesn't end for another half hour."

"I can walk you home if you'd like me to. I don't mind waiting around."

Orihime's eyes widened. "No, no, no, there's no need for you to do that. I'll be fine," she smiled, shaking her hands wildly in front of her form.

"All right, all right, if you say so. I'll see you tomorrow at school," she smirked. Tatsuki grabbed her coat, slipped it on, bid her farewells to the boss and employees and headed out the door.

Orihime stared after her friend as she turned the corner and was no longer in her sight. The two girls had been best friends since childhood. They had attended the same elementary school, befriending each other by Tatsuki boldly defending her from bullies making fun of the color and length of her hair. She had gorgeous long auburn tresses, something the little girls were always jealous of.

The two best friends also ended up attending the same high school and now the same university and job. They were inseparable by fate. Orihime smiled fondly. She didn't know what she would do without her sassy friend. She really did not have anyone else.

She was snapped from her thoughts when the bell hanging above the door rang, signaling the arrival of a new costumer. A man with bright spiky orange hair walked in, strolling to a lonely table and setting his laptop and messenger bag down.

'_Ah, this man comes here every day, but he usually comes in the afternoon. Why is he here so late today?' _she mused to herself. Shrugging, she got up from her seat and willed her aching feet to do their job and walk over to his table. She had never served him before, just watched him and became used to the pattern of seeing him there every day. She had always observed how absorbed he was in his work. She wondered what he was. A writer, editor, or even a college student? He could pass for a twenty-year-old.

From scrutinizing him for so many months, she found him to be a fascinating creature for some odd reason. People seemed to be repelled by his presence while she was allured to it and she was officially happy to be his server tonight and have the chance to be in his presence.

She came up to his table and announced her usual greeting. "Hello, my name is Orihime and I will be serving you tonight. What can I get for you sir?" she sweetly smiled at him.

He gazed up from his laptop screen to the beautiful girl in front of him. He was honestly caught off guard by her natural beauty. Her auburn hair was tied in a low ponytail, with two light blue hibiscus hairpins holding back her bangs on both sides of her head. She was wearing a simple all black outfit with a small apron and name tag, but even those things flattered her because she had the body of a goddess: large breasts, narrow waist, cute hips, and gorgeously large grey eyes. Eyes that held a sort of child-like, candid innocence as they bore into his lucid ones.

She could not help but notice the way he just gawked at her for thirty seconds straight and slowly came out of his reverie. She found it somewhat amusing and did not mind it at all. His actions just made her smile grow wider, while her patience never wore thin.

He cleared his throat as if that small act would cover up his confusion and slightly flushed cheeks. "I'll just have a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino," he declared avoiding her gaze.

She noticed his awkwardness and slightly frowned, but recovered immediately. "All righty. I'll be back with one of those in a jiffy!" she smiled brightly, and then retreated towards the kitchen.

Walking into the kitchen, the staff stared at the jubilant employee with hungry looks, as if yearning for answers.

"One Vanilla Bean Frappaccino!" Orihime shouted.

She slowed her stroll, turning slowly towards them, a confused expression morphing her countenance. "What?" she asked innocently.

"That guy comes in here, but he never orders anything. He's a cheapskate. All he does is uses this place to do whatever he's doing on that laptop," one of the bakers said.

"Probably watches porn," chuckled an employee.

Orihime gasped. "How would you know that?! You shouldn't falsely accuse."

"Doesn't every guy do it?" laughed another employee. "Everybody stays away from that dude though. He's just… scary. And apparently he likes you because he actually ordered something."

"Really? I don't think so," Orihime smiled, a slight blush on her cheeks.

The staff gawked at her with a mixture of different expressions.

"She's blushing!"

"Eh?! No I'm not!" Orihime exclaimed desperately, patting her cheeks to test whether they were warm or not.

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The carrot top was able to catch a glimpse of her smile right before she turned around. What a dazzling smile she had, bright and genuinely happy. She sort of reminded him of his own mother. Exactly that, bright and happy. He was just absolutely amazed that this one woman was already making him go nuts and he had only been around her for two minutes at the most! He had never been this affected by a single person, more a stranger, in his twenty one year long life. She just emanated a magnetic aura that attracted him a little too much.

'_Get a grip on yourself, Ichigo. This is just absolutely ridiculous. She's just my waitress… who is really damn hot and beautiful- woah! Why am I thinking like this?! I'm not focused on girls right now. Whatever, she's just another girl…'_

"Wah!"

With that exact sound, Ichigo's thoughts were curtailed. He turned to his side seeing nothing.

"Owie…"

He looked down at the floor to his left, where the source of the noise was. His eyes grew wide as he stared at the auburn haired woman sprawled out on the floor beneath him covered in cold white liquid from head to toe.

Orihime propped herself onto her elbows and wiped away her costumer's order from her large eyes. Peeling them open, deciding it was safe enough to do so, she was shocked to see light brown eyes peering down at hers.

From where she was lying, she could see every angle and feature of his face perfectly as he hovered above her. She studied them all: bright orange hair, chocolate brown eyes, an adorable scowl etched on his brows. She even caught a glimpse of concern, but mostly amusement flash in his orbs. It seemed as if he was attempting to mask that hilarity with indifference, but epically failed at his attempt in the process.

He held out a calloused hand for her to accept as he absorbed her frazzled state. "Are you all right?"

She took his hand as he easily lifted her back to her feet. She laughed nervously kneading the back of her neck, "I'm fine! I'm sorry I got your Frappaccino all over me. I just got so distracted by the little blue men walking in front of me, that I didn't notice the water spilled from that glass on the floor and then the next thing I knew, I was staring at the bright lights on the ceiling and white stuff shooting into the sky. And then the white stuff came falling down on me! Amazing how one small little cup covered me up from head to toe."

Staring bug eyed at her, he tried to hide his smile at her incredible rant. "Blue men, huh?"

"Yes! They're everywhere I go! At work, at school, even the sidewalks. They are the cause of my klutziness and now they're the cause of this," she pouted, examining her sticky hair and clothing. "But that's okay! I'll just wash up when I get home. Oh! And I have to get you your Frappaccino."

He was just amazed by her sudden change in attitude. As soon as she noticed herself slipping into a negative mood, she perked up and slid into a positive mood. "No, no, it's all right. Don't worry about it. I think I'm going to be leaving now anyway," he said, turning around to pack all his things up.

Orihime was slightly saddened by the news. "Ah, all right. Goodnight, sir. Please come again soon," she smiled, bending down to start cleaning up the mess she created on the floor.

Ichigo considered helping her clean up, but at this point, he had to clear his head. She clouded his mind more than he enjoyed. With her around him, he could barely think straight. "Goodnight," he smirked. He picked up his messenger bag and laptop, catching her gaze one last time before he strolled away and exited out the door.

The sticky woman looked after his figure as he turned the corner and was no longer in view. In desperate need of napkins, she got up and went over to the table the orange haired man had just occupied. About to reach for the napkins, she noticed something on the table that did not belong there: a notebook, dark brown with metallic gold designs inscribed on the covers.

Orihime was usually not the nosy type, but for some reason, she could not resist the temptation to pry open the pages of this fancy little notebook, as if it would reveal a magical dimension. She opened the little book to reveal pages alive with surprisingly eloquent writing and papers crammed with notes stuffed recklessly into the small notebook. She caught her eyes already roaming over the words and soaking them in, but quickly stopped herself. '_I can't read what's in here… that's so rude. What if this is his diary or something?'_ She smiled at the mere thought of that tough man having a diary or journal of any sort.

Again, not being able to resist the pull of reading his beautifully inscribed cursive letters, she just allowed herself to be enveloped by the temptation. Her eyes grew dangerously wide after precariously reading each meaningful word for about five minutes. She knew this was not his journal or diary. This was… there was more to this man than what met the eye.

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Hope you guys enjoyed that! Sorry for the slight cliffhanger, but I honestly don't even know myself what is in that book. If you guys want to predict what is in the notebook and throw some ideas out there, then please do so. The fact that I don't know what is in the book is what is holding me back from continuing this. xD

Well, review if you'd like. I want to know your thoughts. (:

~Yono~


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